Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-20


men so into the fields and, while looking
up at it repeat the following rhyme:
New moon. nsw nl,on hail thcc!
~ al thsv virtue in Thy body
Grant thit night tsst may see
Ne who my true loVo u 10 10.
After this they return with the firm
conviction that before the following
/ morning their future husbands will APP
/ pear 10 them in their dreams There
are several varieties Of this superstition.
+ One consists in looking at the Erst new
moon Of thc year through silk hand
/ Eerchief vhich has mover been washed,
at the same time IlsiRg this iReaRtGtien
New neon. rev NOON, Aaii thee!
New 1osn, new moon. 10 Eine 70 mo;
u marry fnGn. or nian marry no.
show Ee 10" many moons Il ain De.
AS many moons as tho person sees
through the handkewhiof-the threads
multiply them to the visis3-indicate
the number Of years she viii remain I'M
married. Again, correspondent OF
Notes and Queries tells ms that, being
on visit to Yorkshire. he WAS much
amused one evening" to find the servants
Of the house excunng themselves for be-
INK out 81 tie Whv when the bell rang,
on the plea that they had besn mailing
tse first new neon Of the year" This
mystensus apd evsatful greeting WAS
o"comrlished By means Of booking
class, in winch the ArEt sight OF tbs noen
vas to be bad and the momsntous
oo,ect to be gained wss the All-iroportsnt
secret IS 10 how many years were 10
c'spsc before the marriage OF the speota-
tors II ono IaoOn was in tho glsss, emo
year if two, two years, aR9 SO On. In
ihc case in question the maid and hey
faN only one moon apiece. An ella De
yonshire sdmOnitiop tells thoOe who are
anxious TO gain IA insight into futurity
TO take OF one OF their stockings when
thCy fTsl sec the new moon Of the row
yckr, and 10 um to tie next ftile.
On their arrival thcy will isd
betwe6n two OF thoir toes a hair
which VIII be tho celor Of their lovers
in the north OF England and Scotland IL
is rravslept belief tAst If q pers0n on
srst catching a sl.npfe Of tho new moon
were instantly to stand stil, kiss his
hand three tines, apd bow 10 The lamar
orb be would fad sowstning Of value
before the end Of the next thirty days.
IN nauy places. also, If is considered
lucky u see the new moon over the right
shoulder, but unlueky over the lsf,
whereas. whom straight before one, it u
said to p.ogn0stiysto good fortune TO the
csd OF tAe month.
one OF the popular notions in vulgar
philosophy Is that OF sympathy Of grow
ne and declining nature With the way
iue and waning Of the noon. Certain
seeds ore 70 be sowcd in the wane, Ger
tsIu in the Wax of the moon. In Devon
shire IL isa common ldea that apples
"saruuB mp il Incked when the moon
is gau>ng 1t IS = Cornish notion that
t.uber SHOULD he fe.lcd in the "baJipF
Di the moon because the sap IS then
down" AL tae wood viii he more
d1labe. la the samc country also
1erbs FOR drying are gathered al /
.ae full of the moen, Likewise |
apples aud pears Ia order that they may I
retsin their piumpness. Many, also, .
prefer to SOW their garden and other
seeds during the moons first quarter,
lom tie idea that they viii then gerni-
Dr'e quicker and grow stronger than ON
t4e Grcreas. In addition to agricultural
operations the MOON is supposed 10 excrt
great influence on human birth and the
LilIuz Of aniMas for the table. IN
Cornwall when a child is born III the
interval between an old moon and
she first appearance Of q new one
It IL sad that II will never live to
roach tie ago OF puberty. Hence the F.
saylnE No MOON, 30 man IN the /.
s,me county, too, when boy is born IN T.
the wana of the moon 1t IL believed /
tuat the next birth will be a girl. and .
.j.1 ecrs4, and 1t 10 also prevalent be- .
lief that when birth takes place on the /
growing of the moon the next child /
viii be o. the aahe sex. In many places .
eggs are sci under the hen at new moon,
Ana ia SuGelk il il considered unlucky F
ID kill a pig on tBe waning moon, lest .
the PORK should wasts in the boiling
Another piece Of folk lore associated .
with the moon is its supposed power to
neal certain Gisesses. IN the south Of .
England the May new moon Is snid to I
have q ehsIe in curing scrotulous com /.
plants in DevoAshire the hsr and
sails saouid always be Cut during the .
waning of tho moon, and persons trou-
Died with the corns are recommended %
cui them after the moon has been a It's
iul.
ApotLer popular idea is that the /
weather changes with the moons quar-
tors. although Of course there IA no truth
.n this piece OF vulgar fstrolegy. That
educated people, - Or. Tyler hes truly
pointed ont, 10 whom exact weather
records arc accessible, should still lind
satisfaction in this ianciiul lunar rue,
is an interesting case of intellectual sur
ylyal. still tho fact remains, and III
everyday life one OF tue most frequent
remarks concerning wet weather Ia that
It vii no doubt change with the
moon. Ia England a change Of the |
moon on Saturday is universally re- |
gsrded as n bad sign, and numerous
proverbs 10 that eject abound; in italy .
Wednesday is the unlucky one while in
the south Of Irasce Friday occupies
the evil post. When the moon Is sur
rounded by a halo of wstery clouds the
scmm say there will he a Chgnge OF /
weltuer Tor the mOou-does are about. /
g. pale moon also is equally uniayor-
able Shakespeare Glludes 90 this in the
Midsummer Nights Dream:
therefore,, no moon, .he goycrness OF foods,
Pal" 4. Der aIgs-. washes ALI av az,
IEat Iucumslc cl-suses do abound.
when the moons horns appear to
point upward 1t is said 10 Doe Ike q boat,
aud in many parts there * an idea tuat .
when 10 i. thus situated there will be no
4au. Sailors say 1t denotes hnc wsa-
thcr. for, 10 use their phrase "You I.
could hang Noar hetUpon it," In Liver /
T50l. however, 1t is thought a sign of /
foul weather, As the moon is now /
considered 70 be like basin full .
OF water about to fall. Whenever a
planet or large star is seen near
the moon sea'sring men proRnost.cate .
'o.st"rous Weather, flr, 70 use their .
,,rns, ~ big star is doggug the /
moon" Many other suporsttious fan
c,.s are associated with the moons sup
lo.ed influence on tins weather, varying. /
oI course, in diTtcnt localities. Tins f.
clear moon is generally believed %
au.ur bright weather IN summer and .
frost IN winter.